Preheater



March 27, 192s. 1,664,055

G. WILCOX PREHEATER Filed Nov. 10. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. WILCOX PREHEATER Filed Nov. 10. 1923 March Z7, 1928.

m@ TTORNEKS'.

Ri. LANL ...Lum o w Nm W f iom sk um m wi March 27, 192s. 1,664,055

- G. wlLcox PREHEATER Filed Nov. 10. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f/is/E/i TOR.-

GEORGE M//Lcoag i f 1,664,055 G. WILCOX 'March 192s.

PREHEATER Filed NOV. 10. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 nlllvmdig A March 27, 192s. l 1,664,055

G. wlLc-ox PREHEATER Filed NQv. 10. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fYx/E/v TOR 6:50265 `M//L COA',

TTORNE'YS.

Patented Mar. 27, 19728.

UNITED STATES PATENT g oFFlcE.

GEORGE wILcoX, 0E RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoR rro CALIFORNIA CANNING MACHINERY Co.; A vColueoRArIoN or CALIFORNIA.

PREIIEATER.

Applieationriea November 10,1923. seria1No.674,o95. l

This invention relates to Cannery equipment and relates particularly to adevice in which cans of foodstuffsprevious to 'sealing and cooking, may be raised'to a temperature sufficient to expand and thereby exhaust a portion of the air from the cans.

VDevices of this character are commonly termed exhaust boxes, from the fact that they are employed for the purpose of exhausting air from the cans before they are sealed. It is customary toemploy a suitably heated housing in which a conveyor operates,I the cans being placed on the conveyor at one end of the exhaust box,- carried efficiencyv being chiefly due to the use of' mechanism which enables the carrying of the cans through upper and lower horizontal laps .a course substantially twice the lengt-h of the course through which the cans are carried in present types yof exhaust boxes occupying the same floor space.A lThis very material increase in efhciency vis of considerable importance as it enables the conservation of floor space in packing plants.k

The inventionhas for a further object to provide means for reducing the loss of heat from the interior of the exhaust box through the escape of steam through the 'openings therein.

`My invention employs anV arrangement of doors in the entrance and discharge openings to the heated chamber which are so' arranged that each passage is always closed by one or more doors. This arrangement permits but very little escape of heat from the interior and thus contributes to the efficiency thereof and improves vthe working conditions surrounding the machine by preventing excessive escape. of heat into the atmosphere. i

In the following description ofv my invention, the advantages vand further objects of the invention will be made fully evident.Y

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a plan view taken in section substantially on la line indicated as 1-1 of Fig. 2. V y A i Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2j-2 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 isa vertical crosssection taken as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. '2.

Fig. 4 'is a fragmentaryview taken as in# dica'ted by the line 4.-4 'of Fig. 2, for the.

purpose ofshowing the placement of'guide bars for directing the cansthrough aflat? tened helical course.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation ing the arrangement of drive gears.

Fig'.V 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 64-6 ofFig. 1. 'Y f f Fig.'7 is a fragmentary plan view`showing the manner in which/I applydoors to showthe discharge opening of the device.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentaryplan view showing the mannerV in which the doors are applied to theentrance opening.l y

Fig. 9 is a sectiontaken substantially on a plane indicated by the line 9-"-9 of Fig; l8.

Fig. `1() is an enlarged fragmentary view, of the can .feeding mechanism.

In the form of my -inventionvshown inthe drawings, carrying membersv are provided in the form of trays 11. lThese carrying meme bers are moved continuously through a flat- -tened somewhat elliptical path or orbit by flexible travelingv members lwhich may be in the form of sprocket chains or of link .belts12 which travel over sprocket wheels 13 and 14'l secured upon shafts 15 Vand 16. The'trays adapted toy support articles upright vduring their repeated passage above' and below both of said sprocketwheels and through substantially horizontal laps therebetween, are shown as pivotally supported upon the chain belts in bearings 19 through which shaft members 2O extend. The trays 11 may be rigidly secured'to the shaft member and are maintained in substantially flat or horizontal position7 during their advance through the mentioned non-circular orbits by means such as arms 22 which are shown as mounted upon the rightward ends of the shaft members 20. Y Y

' Mounted in positions sli htly'forward and to the right hand side 0F the sprockets 13 and 14 is a pair of sprocket wheels 23 and 24 which are Vof substantially the same diameter as the sprocket wheels 13 and 14. Over the wheels 23 and 24 a linked `chainloelt 25 is extended, this chain belt having inwardly projecting lugs 26 which engage the vends of the lever arms22, the majority of which are forked, butof which rone or two are provided with eyes 28, as indicated in'Fig. 2, which tie the cha-ins 12 and 25 together` s'o that the chain 25 will bedriven synchronously with the chain 12. The sprocketwheels 23V and 24 rotate at the same rate of speed astherwheels 13 and 14:, therefore, the lugs 26 on the belt 25 are 1`r`1oi.`fe`d,'in spaced relationship with corresponding shaft members 20, through'a flattened orbit indicated by the dotted lines 27 of Fig. 2, this orbitv 27 being of the saine size-as the orbitthrough which the shafts20 travel but being disposedv a distance forward from the orbit of the shaft members 20, this distance being equal to the length of the arms 22. By this arrangement the extension "of the arms 22 is maintained in-horizontal direction, nomatter what position in the orbit of travelthey may` assume.` The trays 11 being rigidlyysecurtl upon the` shaft members 20, are likewise -ma-intained in positions Vsubstantially parallel to a horizontal plane. Any cans, or

other objects to be treated, which are placed upon the trays will pass through a helical orbit but will be maintained in erect position so that spilling of liquid or other contents therefrom is etfectuallyprevented.

The cans, as indicated at 30 in Fig. 1, are placed upon the trays in a single row, at the yrightward sid-e ofthe machine, each can being carried forwardly upon the rightward end of atray to the rear of the machine whereupon it is lowered'with the "travel of the belt 12 downwardly over the forward sprockets 14 and is then brought rearwardly along theunderside of the belt as indicated by the-arrow 32 in 2 and upon reaching the vforward end of the machine is carried upwardly due to the travel of the belts 12 over the forward sprocket wheels 13. During .the initial forward travelvof a can as indicated by the arrow in Fig. V1, it is engaged by al diagonally disposed guide bar 35 which moves it in valeit-ward direction as the tray upon which it is carried advances. When the can has reached the end of its forward-movement and starts downwardly with the, tray as indicated in dotted lines 37, `it will yhave been moved by the guide -bar 35 into `a position a short distance from the rightward end o f the tray vand in position as indicated by dotted lines 38 inltig. Li to enter the Vpassage 39 between the lower guide bars? 4() and 41. During the rearward travel of the can, it is moved to they left by the guide bar 10 and at the end of 'the rearward'travel is inthe position Vindicated at 4t2 in Fig. e

. tive projections 61.

from which it is carried upwardly into the upper channeltt formed between the guide bars and 46. v

ltwill be recognized that bymoi'f-in'g the cans laterally during their travel through a definite orbit, a helical path of somewhat flattened character is described. By 'suitably varyingthe width of the machine, this helical path may be made of suitable length, thus `causingthe cans to be carried back and forth within the preheater device `quite a number 'oftimes before being discharged at the leftward side of the chamber in which the carrying meinbersf'or trays'llmaresituated. This structure, 'which provides'a helical'tr'avel of the "c'ans-through'the preheater, is of 'very vsimple ad economic'al construction as compared to the standard arrangement of conveyors employed Vto -accomplish the 'same amount of -travel'within 'an 'exhaust box.y .l

The mechanicalelem'ents h'e'reinbefore V'described are `H'Iounte'd in an'yfsuitable struct'ure, such as 'structural channel vfinembers 50 suitably erected in thefo'rm of 'frame work 51 as'indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and B. Although in the us'eof the device, itis intended to inclose the 'structure with substantially tight walls of sheet metal and insulating material, Athese'walls have been )rnit'tedV in Figs. 1, 2, andB in order that the features-'of construction and arrangement mayy not be obscured.

My invention provides an limproved 'form of mechanism Vwhereby the cans may be fed Yinto the preheater. "As shown in Fig. '1, 'a

circulartable 55 is mounted upon a vertical shaft 56, this table rotatinginvthe direction indicated by the arrow 57 yso that any cans i placed thereon as indicated at :58,Ywill'jbe carried throughl a parti-circular coursejand guided Aup ontoa t-r'ackway 'or slide 60 along which they -are moved in the 'forward direc-tion, indicated by the 'arrows-4C, by projecting arms [61 mounted upon a4 chainl belt 62 which travels over sprockets 63 and 64.

Stationar 'guides 162 'and 163 V'are provided for directing the cansinto the path ofthe 'projecting arm 6l, land 'resiliently disposed` guide members 65 and66 areprovid'ed for the purpose 'of distributing the 'cans properly in 'the p'ocl'rets formed between the consecu- The vforni 'and operation of these resiliently disposed guide members constitute an important feature of the invention as they prevent the jamming Aof cans against the ends of the pusher arms61 which often oc'urs inc'anning machines and is productive of lmuch trouble 'and delay v It will be readily 'recognized that can might be placedv upon the rotating table 55 in such a manner that it would`meet with the end of one of the pusher members61 'and disposed guide members 65 and' 66`arep1'a'c'ed' f in case acan com esagainst the end of one `members 66 with the can,

- 85 provided near .they are in position parallel to thepath of the member 61 so that of these pusher members it will be engaged by the forward ends 67 of the members 65 andw66, whereupon occurs a rolling action along the member 66 whichit will be noted is substantially straight in extension and is formed of a pair of bars 69 providing an opening therebetween in which the member 65 swings. Due to the yengagement of the K its movement is retarded so that it will dropV into a position behind the pushermember 61 with which it originally made endmengagement. ,'The memat 70 near the forber 6.5 is rearwardly bent ward end thereof so that a ypocket isV formed. The presence of this pocket permits the membery65 to swing inwardly around a can 71,

Fig. 10, so that the forward end thereof will.

be in a position to engagev and retard the movement of a following can such as indicated kat 72, thus vpreventing the bunching up of the cans against thel pusher member. The members 65 andf66 are forced resiliently in '1 the' direction indicated' by the arrow73 by springs 74 and'7 5 .which` connect between a stationary bar 76 and armsA 77 and'78, the arm 7 7 being mounted uponxthe vertical shaft 79' tov which 1 the bars 69 constituting the member 66 are secured, and the arm 7 8' extending rearwardly from the member 65* which is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 7 9. The cans are discharged from the preheater along a trackway 80 which is similar 'f in construction to the trackway 60.

It will be noticed that the bottom members 81 of the trackway end in ngers 82 which terminate on vertical planes which substantially coincide with the axes of the forward and rearward pairs of sprocketwheels 13 and 14C. The members 81 arek disposed on the level ofthe upper plane of travel of the trays 11 and the ngers extend into notches fthe ends of the trays, thus making it possible for the cans to move from. trackway to tray and from tray to trackway in a'V very smooth Vand even manner.l As shown in Fig. 1, the belt member 87 ,i traveliing over sprocket wheels 88 and 89, is provided with projecting pusher arms 90 Awhich have thefunction of engaging the cans when the engagement of a motor driven belt, not` shown, with the pulley 100, this pulley driving a shaft 101 having a bevell gear 102 mounted intermediately thereupon and a spur c gear 103 at the end thereof. The bevel gear gear111, Figs. 3 and 5, is driven.

to leave the trays, as indicated at 91, and to move the cans along 102 engages av bevel gear 104'which, as shown in Fig. 2, causes therotationof'the shaft 56 through a. shaft 107 and gears 108 and 109,y thus causing the rotation of thecircular table 55. Through an idler gear 110,'a

gear 111 is keyed upon the shaftl which carries the forward'pair of sprocket wheels 13, rthus c-ausing'the driving of the link-belts The cha-in belt 62 which constitutes part j 12. of the feeding mechanism Ais driven from a. sprocket wheel115 mounted upon the shaft 15`through a chain 116, a shaft 117,-gears 118 and 119-which 'drive the vertical shaft- 120 4which supports the sprocket 64 carrying the rearward end of the chain 62.

vThe forward sprocket wheels 14 arev mounted upon the shaft 16. Upon the outer. leftward end -of-theshaft 16 a sprocket 122 is secured, as shown in-Fig.- 1, and indicated in -thedotted lines .122 in" Fig. 2. rFhev sprocket 88,

as shown inrFig. 6. This shaft has a bevel gear 127 mounted* thereon,'whichis driven by a bevel geai which also haslmounte'd thereona sprocket 130 which is driven .from the sprocket 122 byaV chain belt 132, Figs. 1, 2 and 6.

Inthe use of thev invention, it is desirable to ,enclose` the frame Vstructure with metalplat-es 135, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, thus forming a chamber in `which the traveling mechanismis placed. rThe chamber thus formed lmay be interiorly heated by .steam coils orother heating means, notpshown. vIn

large This4 over which the chain belt travels, is mounted upon a vertical shaft'125" 128 mounted'on a shaft 1.29, A

looA

the standard forms ofpreheaters, considerl able loss of heat results from the escape of heated vapors and gases through the .entrance and exit openings of the exhaust chamber. In Figs.V 7 and 8, I show the Amanner-in which doors 138 and 139 are employed in the practice of myf-invention. The trackways60 and 80 are housed in with side,top and bottom wallmembers 140, as shown fully in Fig. 9, in this manner forming a tubular channel through which lthe cans must pass asl n n they' enter or leavethe preheating device. Thedoors may be hinged as indicated at 142 and are spaced at :such distance` apart relative to the spacing of the cans that only one door maybe held open by the passing of a can at a certain time; As shownin 'Fig 8,fa canv145 is shown forcing the door 138 open. 1 A

I It vwill be recognized that when the can 14:5 moves into the position indicated by the dotted lines 146, the door 138 will be ypermitted'to swing closed and will therefore be p' in 'closed position when the can 14.5 engages and opens` the door 139. These doors may be fitted withV a fair degree `of accuracy so as to provide an efficient closure of the inlet and outlet passages. Any suitable spring means, suchv as indicated at 150, may be emlll ployed for the purpose of holding the doors 138 and 139 resiliently in closed position.

I claim as .my invention: i

l. In apreheating organization, the combination of a treatingchamber; a plurality of carrying members arranged to receive objects to be treated and to hold said objects in an upright position; flexible traveling members extending over wheels upon which said carrying members are advanced through a flattened elliptical orbit; means for moving said objects in a direction transverse to the direction of advance of said carrying members, in a manner causing the passage of saidobjects through said treatingv chamber in a substantially helicalpath, andfsets of spaced. and resiliently closed doors positioned vin the openings of said heating chamber, and loperating 'in a substantially vertical plane under contact With said advancing objects, in such a manner to maintain conchamber..

stantly closed vopenings to said heating 2. In a preheating organization, the combination Vof a treating chamber; a plurality of carrying .members arranged to receive objects to be treated and to hold said objects in an upright position; flexible Vtraveling members, extending over wheels upon Which said carrying members are advanced through a flat-tened elliptical orbit; means for moving said objects in a directiontransverse to the direction of advance of said carrying members, in a manner causing the passage of said objects through said treating chamber in a substantially helical path; sets of spaced and resiliently closed doors positioned in the openings of said heating chamber, and operating in a substantially'vertioal plan under contact vWith said advancing objects, in such a manner to maintain constantly closed openings to said heating chamber; a feeding member for placing said objects upon. said carrying members; resiliently disposed means for; guiding said objectsinto engagev ment with said feeding means; and Walls enclosing :the .mentioned parts.

I 3. In a pijelaeating organization, the combinat'ion lof a treatin-g chamber; a plurality of `carrying members arranged to receive objects to be treated and to hold said objects in an :upright position; flexible traveling members extending over Wheels upon which said carrying members lare advanced through a flattened elliptical orbit; means for moving said objects in a direction transverse to the direction of advance of said carrying members, in fa `manner causing the passage of said objects through said treating chamber in asubstantially helical path; a feeding member for placing said objects upon said carrying member during the continuousadvance of the latter; a rotating table upon Which said objectsare placed and carried into engagement Withsaid feeding member;

reslently disposed means. `.fer guidingy said Objects into engagement Wit-h Vsaidf..e.'edur1g means; and Walls-enclosing the'mentioned parte. Y' L 1 f L .In a preheating organization, thecombination of atreating chamber provided with diagonally opposed openings Aconstant-ly closed by spaced and resiliently closing doors; a plurality of carryingmembers .ar-

ranged to receive the objects to be treated andk to hold said objects in an upright position;

whereby, said carrying ymembers are moved through a non-circularorbit; apfeeding meinbei' for placing said objects upon said carry'- ing members; a rotating table .upon which said objects are placed and carried IlO 6.1.1'- gagement withy said feeding member; resiliently disposed means for guiding said objects into engagement with said feeding means ;V

Y means, including vfieirible traveling members, Y

and means for Vmoving said objctsside- 'l Wise upon said carrying members during the continuous advance of said carrying', I Iiein-l bers; saidV treating objects' ...bein-gf 'carried through a substantially helical path r`between said openings assaid carrying members are moved'through'saidorbit. 3 Y

5. In a preheating organisation,the com-V bination rofa treating chamber provided'vvithV entrance and exit openingsconstant-ly Closed .by spaced and resiliently closing doors; a plurality of carrying members arranged'to receive objects to'be treated andtohold said objects inV substantially upright positions; a flexible traveling member 'extending over Wheelsmoving said carrying members con'- tinuously through a non-circular orbit;

jects ytobe treated and to hold said objects in* a substantially upright position; a flexible traveling member, extending .over Wheels, moving said carrying members through a non-circular orbit; Vmeans Vlfor maintaining said carrying members substantially parallel to a horizontal plane; a -feeding memberfor placing said objects `upon said carrying inembers; a rotating table .upon which ysaid Objects are placed and carried into eng-agement'with y said feeding member; resiliently disposed means for guiding said objects into 'engagement With said feeding means; and means its lio

insv

for sliding said objects sidevvise upon said carrying membersfin a manner causing thel passage of. said objects through said orbit in a attened'elliptical path having upper and lower horizontal laps. f

7 In a mechanism for feeding objects into a machine,`the 'combination of: a treating chamber provided With openings; spaced doors, pivotally mounted in said openings and movable by said objects in a vertical plane; a flexible travelinO member; engagement members movable Vby said traveling member in a non-circular orbit; and resiliently maintained guide members disposed along the path of said engagement members and arranged to bear separately against said objects at consecutive points alongthe path through which saidY objects are carried by said engagement members. i

8. In a mechanism for feeding objects into a machine, the combination of: flexible trav- 'eling members provided With means for advancing the same in non-circular orbits; engagement members moved by said traveling member; a rotating table upon which said objects are placed and thereby carried into the path of said engagement members; resiliently maintained guide members ydisposed along the path of said engagement members, said guide members being arranged so as to bear separately against said objects at consecutive points along the path through Which they are carried by said engagement members; Walls enclosing the mentioned parts; and means,'comprising pairs of doors alternatively opened to permit the ingress and egress of said objects, Without opening both of said doors at the same time.

9. In a preheating organization provided with openings constantly closed by .spaced and resiliently closing doors, a feeding mechanism comprising: a belt traveling over Wheel members; engagement arms spaced along said belt; a rotating table placed adjacent to said belt member and extending beneath the path of said engagement arms; svvingably mounted guide arms j disposed. along the path of said engagementarms; and means for resiliently holding said guide arms in guidingposition.

l0. In a preheating organization comprising a treating chamber provided with ope n. ings constantly closed byspaeed-and resiliently'closing doors; a plurality of carrying trays; a pair of belt membersto which said trays are attached; Wheel members over Which said belt members travel; means comprising projecting arms kand additional Wheel vmembers for -maintaining said trays substantially horizontal; means for feeding the objects whichy are to be treated onto like ends Vof saidtrays; guide bars, disposed to impart a continuous transverse movement to said objects during the movement of said carrying trays, causing said objects' to be earriedithrough' said treating chamber in a flattened helical path corresponding to the 'flattened elliptical orbit through Whichs'aid ybelt members move; rdischarge means Whereby said objects are taken fromsaid Vtrays at jhe end lof their helical path; and Walls enclosing the mentioned parts. H 7

Il.l In al preheating organization comprising a heating chamber provided With openings constantly closed by spaced and resiliently closing doors, the combination of: a traveling member extending over a pair of sprocket Wheels; Vcarrying members arranged to be moved by said travelingv members; means for moving said objects onto said carrying members in a direction-parallel to the direction of travel of said traveling member; and means for causing said objects, While advancing in a flattened helical path, to pass repeatedly'belovv and above each of said sprocket Wheels.

12. In a preheating organization comprising a heating chamber provided with openings constantly closed by spaced and resiliently closing doors, the combination of: a

.traveling member comprising upper and lower horizontal laps, carrying members arranged to be moved by said traveling member; an entrance traekvvay extending to a point adjacent to the path of said carrying members, the terminal point of said track- Way lying in the same vertical plane of advance of said carrying members; means for moving said objects along said trackway onto said carrying members and means for causing said objects to` be moved transversely on said carrying membersl during the advancement thereof.

13. In a preheating organization, comprising a treating chamber provided With openings constantly closed by spaced and resiliently closing doors, pivotally mounted in a vertical plane and movable by engagement with treating objects, the combination of: a traveling member provided with means forv advancing said membervover separate sprock- Vets in a non-circular. path; carrying members arranged to be moved by said traveling member; means for moving objects onto said Y carrying members in a direction parallel to the direction of travel 'of saidv traveling member; and means for removing said objects from said carrying members parallel to the direction of motion of said carrying members. v ,j I

14. In a preheating organization, comprising a treating chamber provided With openings constantly closed by spaced and resiliently closing doors, pivotally mounted in a vertic'alplaneand. movable by engagement with treating objects, the combinationzof: a traveling member provided with means for advancing said members over separate sprockets in a non-circular path; carrying members arranged to be moved by said travelfnmembelf; means fOr mowing ObjectsAV O11- a, trackwayfand `means for nlexfrlgV said 0.19- to szud c arrymg members, inedlrecton paljects along said traclgvsgay.4 j v allel to. the direction 0f` travely of Said travel. In: testimony whereof, Lhave, hreuntgset 1b imgY membeljg; means `for removing said my handA at Riverside, Californi, this-29 objects from said-carrying members' parallel dafy of October, 1923. to, the dreeonef motion of said carrying members; said removing means comprising v GEGRGE 'WlLQQX- 

